It’s been a minute since I’ve written! I’ve missed you all! Summertime was crazy busy but I’m back and hope everyone enjoyed themselves! It’s insane to think that the holidays are right around the corner, and with the holidays comes online shopping! I think everyone can agree that the allure of online shopping is pretty high and that the “Amazon effect” is very real. So many people expect things to be at their doorstep in 24 hours or less and at the lowest price possible. Sure, this is great for SO many things, but does it apply to buying sex toys on the internet? Let’s explore, shall we?  

Have you ever been scammed by ordering something online? I have. It wasn’t necessarily a sex toy, but it was equally as frustrating to not get what you thought you would. How many times have you ordered an article of clothing, then it arrives and feels like a piece of crap? Looks can be deceiving and so can many online retailers. When thinking about purchasing sex toys online, how can we decipher if we are going to get what we paid for or get a knockoff that will disintegrate in our body (EEEEEEKKKK)!

First off, do your research. There are SO many places you can buy sex toys, especially from what we call third-party retailers. I’ll be honest, a third party is not allowed at my party. Unless the third party is a verified retailer, I would hesitate to trust it. This is how knockoffs happen on platforms like Amazon. The product can look identical to the original, but if it’s less expensive, there’s a reason for it. There’s also something called MAP, which means Minimum Advertised Price, and more often than not, sex toy companies will have one of these set. Essentially, this means that no one can or should be selling that product for a price lower than the MAP that is decided upon by the manufacturer. If you find a replica of a product and it’s under the MAP price, it’s a definite red flag. For many small, independently owned businesses, places like Amazon are the devil. Small businesses work SO hard not only to protect their brand from knockoffs but also from third-party retailers undercutting them on price. It can be a full-time job to monitor it. So, if you have the opportunity to buy from small retailers and manufacturers, you should! Support those small businesses!

The next thing I look for is if a warranty is offered with the product. For me, this just gives me peace of mind that whoever I am buying from stands behind their products 100%. Any good company should offer some kind of warranty on their product.

Another thing to look for is what kind of payment processor is being used. Is it secure? Encrypted? How are they telling you they will protect your information? This isn’t a foolproof way of deciphering a good website from a bad one but it is something to keep an eye out for.

I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m going to anyway. The POP website is a great example of a secure, safe site from a small retailer. We work very hard to not only keep our customers feeling good about their purchase but also that their information and transactions are secure and safe. Another great example of a safe website is from Tantus, Inc. (www.tantusinc.com). With the holidays coming up and online shopping being so readily at our fingertips, keep these points in mind when doing your shopping. We all know how influential all of those Instagram and TikTok ads can be, but trust your instincts and do your research before giving your sacred credit card information to just anyone online. Happy shopping!

Best, 

Steph “Spermin’” Berman